One of the most common uses of series-connected light strings is for decoration and display purposes, particularly during Christmas and other holidays. Such light strings are particularly popular for the decoration of the residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, trees, shrubbery, and the like.
In the past, decorative light strings typically included a number of incandescent bulbs connected in series. More recently, however, decorative light strings often include light emitting diodes (hereinafter “LEDs”) instead. LED decorative light strings typically require less electricity to operate, generate less heat, and last longer than incandescent bulb light strings. Despite these improvements, LEDs still have a limited lifespan or can otherwise fail due to broken wires, overload currents, corroded leads, or related issues. At some point, one or more of the LEDs will burn out or fail, and the defective LED must be replaced.
Because the LEDs of many LED light strings are connected in series, the failure of one or more LEDs may cause a portion or all of the remaining LEDs (depending on the configuration of the light string) to no longer illuminate. In light strings having replaceable LEDs, the defective LED can be replaced with a new LED; however, a significant problem thus exists in that usually many LEDs have to be checked to find the defective LED. In fact, in many instances, the frustration and time-consuming efforts are so great as to cause one to completely discard and replace the string with a new string. Additionally, replacement does not offer a practical solution if the lights are on an already decorated Christmas tree where removal would cause damage to the ornaments or on wire frame yard decorations where the lights have many clips and wire ties holding them to the frame. Moreover, in light strings that do not have replaceable LEDs, the problem of identifying and repairing a defective LED is significantly more complicated, inconvenient, and impractical for the average light string owner.